The Maharashtra State Road Development Corporation (MSRDC) has begun decorating 14 tunnels along the Samruddhi Mahamarg with local Warli tribal art.
The initiative, which is the first of its kind attempt in the state, has been taken to promote cultural preservation.
Additionally, the authorities aim to beautify the highway while showcasing the region’s rich cultural heritage.
The MSRDC has already completed the graffiti work on the tunnels of Igatpuri, located between Thane and Nashik districts. It took approximately 1-1.5 months to complete these artworks.
The vivid paintings depict local Warli art, with themes ranging from the traditional art of Kasara in Thane district to representations of Vipassana, tourism, agriculture, and daily life.
MSRDC officials believe that these artistic expressions will help reduce driver fatigue, making travel more enjoyable for the motorists.
It is pertinent to note that out of the total 701 km length of the Samruddhi Mahamarg, 625 km is currently operational, with over 15 million vehicle owners using it so far. Now, the engineering work on the 76 km stretch from Igatpuri to Amane is complete and will soon be open for traffic.
This section includes five tunnels, including the 7.78-km-long tunnel at Igatpuri, which is the longest in Maharashtra. Once completed, the tunnel will reduce travel time between Igatpuri and Kasara from an hour to just eight minutes, bypassing the challenging Kasara Ghat.